Discovery exhibitor zone

We are excited to announce the launch of our series of autumn events. Our UCAS Discovery events are designed to help thousands of young people access information, advice, and guidance, leaving them feeling inspired, excited, and with a greater sense of direction for their future goals.

Based on the volume of applicants, current event attendance, and the number of schools in each area, we have identified four regions with a demand for a UCAS event.

Save the dates
The dates for our 2024 autumn events can be found below:

2024 events 
Our new UCAS Discovery 2024 statistics dashboard is now available, providing access to a wealth of pre- and post-event data. The dashboard offers exhibitors using visitor QR codes and barcodes, the opportunity to benchmark performance and gain deeper insights into the students who have visited their stand.

2023 events 
Event conversion to application data is now live in the UCAS Discovery 2023 dashboard. 2023 event exhibitors can access the latest data in the ‘reports’ section of the dashboard, featuring both an overview and average statistics, with event-specific filtering options also available. Conversions are only available if you are a customer of the UCAS undergraduate application service with a UCAS provider code. The dashboard will be live until late October when the 2024 cycle closes

We recommend updating your Smartlead UCAS app to experience the latest improvements.

No need to worry. If you can't update the app, it will still scan QR codes and barcodes as long as you leave the 'restrict to standard barcode type' option unchecked. You can check this by going to menu > settings within the app.

The latest Smartlead UCAS app update includes: 

• Changes to the android version of the app to ensure compatibility with the latest android mobile devices.
• Revision of the app's wording to reflect the transition to QR codes.
• A 'Need Help' section that contains the scanning support number 01242 545725 and scanning FAQs which can also be found here.
• Removal of the option to restrict the type of barcode during scanning. This adjustment will not affect the functionality of the app.

When students register for an event, we ask them what they are interested in studying and when they would like to start. This data (where available) is included with any leads that you collect from scanning QR codes at UCAS Events.

• Students can select apprenticeship industries they are interested in. These will be added to your scanning lead download file in 2024
• The subject list has been updated for UCAS events to align with the data collected as part of the UCAS Hub registration, meaning the subjects students are interested in can be tracked across all of their activities and are accurate and up to date.
• The updated subjects and the apprenticeship industries are available in your scanning lead download file for 2024.
• View a sample download file.

QR codes have been introduced as a scanning format for our 2024 Discovery events. The existing app should continue to scan QR codes smoothly. If you have purchased data scanner and have any trouble scanning, go to 'settings' in your Smartlead UCAS app and ensure the 'restrict to standard barcode type' box is unchecked. 

Exhibitor profiles has been updated. The list of subjects available for exhibitors to select from has been changed to ensure uniform language across events and other services that UCAS provides. The option to list a subject against an apprenticeship industry has also been added.

Please note these changes to the UCAS Discovery programme for 2024.

• Moray will now host a UCAS Discovery event on Tuesday 17 September.
• The Derby event has moved to Nottingham  (remaining a shell scheme event).
• UCAS Discover Aberystwyth will run for the first time.
• The event at Ayrshire will be held at Ayrshire College - Kilmarock campus.
• The event at Aberdeen will be held at Robert Gordon University.
• The Stoke-on-Trent campus event date is moving from Tuesday 23 April to Thursday 13 June.

Invoices will be issued from 1 August, please supply a PO at the time of booking. If you have any specific requirements around invoicing (including an earlier payment date) , please contact eventssales@ucas.ac.uk.

Please see below for up until September 2024 GES Expresso links to use when bookings electrics for the 2024 UCAS Discovery events.

April

Lisburn 

Brighton 

June

Maidstone

Sheffield

Liverpool

Newcastle

Birmingham

Nottingham

September

Edinburgh

Glasgow